With a Core i5 processor, SSDs, and switchable graphics, the Sony VAIO VPC-Z116GXS is hands-down the lightest and most powerful ultraportable money can buy.

Before it lost serious ground to netbooks and CULV laptops the Sony Z-Series laptop reigned as the most elegant, the most powerful, and naturally, the most expensive ultraportable in the market. Well, not much has changed. The Sony VAIO VPC-Z116GXS ($1,800 direct) still has its predecessor's bragging rights, as it's the only 13-inch ultraportable (at the moment) that runs an Intel Core i5 processor and a switchable graphics system. And luxuries such as a backlit keyboard, high resolution screen, and support for multiple SSD drives rarely come in packages this small. And yes, its price tag can buy you at least four netbooks, but it still earns an Editors' Choice (in the ultraportable category) for being such a powerful, feature-packed ultraportable.

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Design
There's no need to redesign an ultraportable that's this good looking, which is why Sony left the chassis alone in the new Z116GXS. It's the same reason why the well-crafted Lenovo ThinkPad X200 ($1,199 direct, ) had left its design untouched. The Z116GXS is wrapped in carbon fiber and magnesium metals, though its incredibly scant, 3-pound frame belies its surprising sturdiness. The 4.6-pound Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch ($1,199 direct, ) and 3.8-pound HP ProBook 5310m ($899 direct, ) have a similar footprint but weigh a whole lot more than the Sony Z116GXS. Even the cracker-thin ASUS UL30A-A1 (3.9 lbs) isn't as easy on the scales.

The Sony Z116GXS's 13.1-inch widescreen is smaller than the 14-inch one found in the Asus UL80Vt-A1 ($823 street, ), but its 1,600-by-900 resolution makes up for this difference. The higher resolution creates a larger workspace on the screen by packing in more pixels, allowing users to compare documents and Websites side-by-side with ease. By comparison, most of the Z116GXS's peers have screens with 1,366-by-768 or 1,280-by-800 resolutions.

As the originators of the "chiclet" keyboard, it was only fitting that Sony continues this form factor with the Z116GXS. Though the keys are smaller than those on the ASUS UL30A-A1 and Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch, Sony provides plenty of spacing in between each key so that the typing experience doesn't feel cramped. Sony made the typing experience more compelling by adding a backlit feature, a keyboard feature that wasn't available with its predecessor. The roomy touchpad and soft-clicking mouse buttons also rival that of the excellent Lenovo X200 and Dell Studio 14z ($1,004 direct, ).

Features
The Sony Z116GXS's features have changed somewhat, mostly for the better. It's still amazing that this featherweight includes an internal optical drive, which can be swapped out for a Blu-ray drive. Ultraportables like the Dell Studio 14z and ASUS UL30A-A1 ($775 street, ) opted to do without an optical drive and still weigh more. The Z116GXS now supports only solid state drives (SSD) (spinning drives were available as an option with the previous version). It's one of the only ultraportable that supports dual SSDs (my configuration came with a single 256GB SSD drive). The original Z had an option for dual 256GB ones, for a total of 512GB; the new one tops out at 384GB (one 256GB, the other a 128GB SSD)still plenty for storage space for the average executive.

Because of space constraints, Sony couldn't make room for a cellular modem, which it had in the previous version, acquiring broadband speeds from Verizon's network. It has an ExpressCard 34 slot, so you can use an external 3G wireless solution.

Otherwise, the Sony Z116GXS has solid list of connectivity ports, including three USB ports, HDMI-Out, and card slots for SD memory cards. A fingerprint reader, which sits between the two mouse buttons, provides an extra security blanket for logging into the laptop. For wireless connectivity, it has Bluetooth and uses the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi cards from Intel.

Performance
Not only is the Z116GXS incredibly lightweight laptop in the 13-inch space, but it's easily the most powerful in the business as well. At the moment, it's the only laptop in its class that runs a Core i5-540M processor, which is based on Intel's newest standard voltage, "Arrandale" processors. The new platform and 4GB of the latest DDR3 memory make this a very fast machine. Plus, the SSD drives (if more than one) can be arranged in numerous RAID formats and have amazingly fast transfer speeds, providing that extra speed boost. The Z116GXS flat out dominated in speed tests such as Cinebench R10 and PCMark Vantage, easily blowing past the 8,000 point mark on both tests. In video encoding tests, its 47-second score is as fast as a hardcore business laptop like the Lenovo ThinkPad T410 (0:45).

As if that weren't enough, the Z116GXS houses both integrated (Intel GMA HD) and discrete (Nvidia GeForce GT 330M) graphics chipsets along with the ability to switch between the two. That way, 3D-intensive tasks can make use of Nvidia's powerful graphics, while the integrated graphics can conserve battery life. The Z116GXS also has a third physical setting called the Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System, which switches the graphics system automatically when, say, you unplug the AC adapter (switches to integrated graphics) or connect an HDMI cable (switches to the Nvidia chip). Every other switching scenario on other laptops involves a two-step manual process: Flip the physical switch at the top left corner and wait for a 2-second screen flicker. A three-switch mechanism (One for speed (Nvidia), one for battery life (Intel integrated), and DHGS) is awkward and somewhat confusing, though, especially when Nvidia just announced its Optimus technologyan automatic graphics-switching technology that's more seamless and less obtrusive from a hardware standpoint The Asus UL50VF-A1 is the first laptop that uses this technology.

The Nvidia GeForce GT 330M graphics chip in the Z116GXS is much more powerful than the one found in the Sony Z590. The Z116GXS's 3DMark 06 score of 6,867 is at least 6 times better than that of the Sony Z590, and it didn't drop a single frame during Crysis and World in Conflict game play. Across the gaming tests, it bested the MacBook Pro 13-inch and DellStudio 14z, which run on Nvidia integrated chipset. Even the Lenovo ThinkPad T410's ($1,484 direct, ) workstation graphics was no match for the Z116GXS's 3D prowess.

All this power and 3D muscle come at a price, though. The Z116GXS's 57WH (6-cell) battery lasted just 5 hours, 10 minutes in MobileMark 2007, which was tested using the integrated graphics chipset. The Z116GXS couldn't make it past 4 hours when I switched over to the Nvidia graphics chipset. Five hours of battery life doesn't seem like much these days, especially for an ultraportable. A low-powered laptop like the ASUS UL80Vt-A1 scored well into the 10-hour mark (10:10), while a midrange one like the Dell Studio 14z scored more 5:17 in the same test. Battery life is obviously a trade-off, but you have to realize what kind of power you're dealing with; plus it's nothing that an extra battery won't fix.

The Sony VAIO VPC-Z116GXS is in a unique position right now. While every other ultraportable maker (particularly of netbooks and CULV laptops) is dropping prices and using low-powered component to sweeten their battery scores, the Z116GXS has stayed true to its roots. Hands down, it's the most powerful and most luxurious laptop in the ultraportable space. Sure, you'll have to spend upwards of what four netbooks will cost you and perhaps buy an extra battery; but it's worth it for mobile power users.

About the Author

Cisco Cheng is the Lead Analyst of the laptop team at PCMag.com. He’s a one-man wrecking crew who tests and writes about anything considered a laptop (yes, even netbooks). He’s been with PC Mag for over 10 years and gets occasional headaches from all the technical knowledge he has absorbed during that time. He’d still be snowboarding and playing ba... See Full Bio

Sony VAIO VPC-Z116GXS

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